I had half forgotten that taxes are due tomorrow, since we filed our taxes months ago, but then I read the local Willamette Weekly cover article on  9 Things The Rich Don’t Want You to Know About Taxes .


It’s really in depth, and pretty darn infuriating. Since I know you all won’t take the time to read the full article, here are the tax myths that he tries to dispel:

1. Poor Americans do pay taxes
2. The wealthiest Americans don’t carry the burden
3. In fact, the wealthy are paying less taxes
4. Many of the very richest pay no current income taxes at all
5. And (surprise!), since Reagan, only the wealthy have gained significant income
6. When it comes to corporations, the story is much the same – less taxes
7. Some corporate tax breaks destroy jobs
8. Republicans like taxes too
9. Other countries do it better

Not surprisingly, it was the last section that really got me going, wondering for the umpteenth time why I live in a country that likens taxes to torture and can’t understand how creating a system of mutual support is a good thing.  I wrote last tax season about green taxes and  taxing priorities , and have made my socialist tendencies known. Call me socialist, but I’d happily pay into a system that provides a safety net and makes many predictable expenses less expensive. Instead families are stuck wondering how to budget for unpaid maternity leave, save for college and retire with a reasonable standard of living.


What gets me is that all these tax myths are being created by those who pay the least proportionally. Obama is proposing a  modest tax increases on the wealthy , but it’s still no where near equality. I try to be an optimist in my personal, but politics lately are getting under my skin, and the tax debate reminds me of how much better I think we could do for our families. 


Would you pay more taxes for more services?


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Sustainable Family Finances 
The story of a family creating an abundant and sustainable life.